Families with children, seniors and people with disabilities will be among the first most likely to get modular homes going in for the Camp Fire victims.

According to FEMA spokesperson Jovanna Garcia, calls will be made to those groups first, as long as they’ve registered with FEMA. They will be asked if they have secured shelter, she said.

On Monday, the Gridley City Council agreed to accept a lease for property at the city-owned industrial park where the federal government hopes to put in 350 modular homes. The homes are ready to go, waiting in the Sacramento area, Garcia said.

“For them to be eligible, they have to be registered with FEMA,” she said Thursday. Garcia said the deadline to register with FEMA has been extended to Jan. 31. Anyone who is a victim of the Camp Fire can register with FEMA, at either the Chico or Oroville disaster assistance centers. There are certain proofs of residency required.

The Chico disaster assistance center is at the former Sears store at the Chico Mall, 1982 E. 20th St. The Oroville one is at 2140 Feather River Blvd.

Regarding the 73-acre site in south Gridely, Garcia couldn’t say how long the process to prepare the site could take, but “… the goal is to get it done as soon as possible.”

Utilities such as power and water need to be installed at the site before the gravel foundations are installed and the homes moved to the site.

She said a maximum of 350 modular homes could go on the site, but the amount could be less. She said the federal government is still surveying possible commercial areas to place other FEMA trailers or modulars.

The goal is to get the Camp Fire victims to a place where they can get back on their feet. These are not permanently placed units, she noted.

The Gridley council agreed to end the lease agreement, after several renewals, by 2021, and will return the site to a condition that Gridley can continue to pursue its use as an industrial park. Currently an undeveloped parcel, the site will gain streets and other infrastructure to make it usable.

The lease agreement runs out in July 2021, but the tenants are expected to be out long before that, according to Gridley officials. According to the city’s staff report, the actual end date would be July 2020 to December 2020. The stretch into 2021 allows for the reconditioning of the site.

Those chosen for the homes will not pay rent or utilities, the costs of which will be borne by the federal government, she said.